Electric lamp.



W. A. RICHARDSON. ELECTRIC LAMP., APPLICATION FILED JULY s, 1911.

1,033,347. Patented July 23, 1912.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

WILLIAM A. RICHARDSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALE` TO JOHN G. BARRETT AND ONE-HALF TO EDMOND M. KENNEALY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC LAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23, 1912.

Application mea July 3, 1911. serial No. lesami.

Electric Lamps, of which the following isA a specication.

My invention relates to improvements in electric lamps.

At the present time where a plurality of electric lamps are connected in series in a circuit, when the filament in' one of the lamps breaks or becomes otherwise disabled considerable ditiiculty and inconvenience is experienced and considerable time is lost in endeavoring to ascertain which lamp is disabled, since, when the current is broken by one lamp, all Jof the lamps in the circuit will be extinguished.

It is the object of this invention toproduce a'lamp in which will be provided means for cutting out the lament and so that in the event of the latter bein broken or disabled, the circuit throughtIie lamp may be closed notwithstanding the disabled lament, thus providing means for readilyv ascertaining which lamp in the series is disabled; it being clear that by testing the successive lamps of the series by closing the short circuit therethrough by means of my improved mechanism, the lamps will remain unlighted until the circuit through the defective ilamp is closed, in which event all of the lamps, with the exception of the defective one, will be lighted. Thus the defective lamp -may be ascertained.

A further object is the production of mechanism as mentioned which will be of durableA and economical construction and efficient in operation. Y

' Other objects will appear hereinafter.

With these objects in `view my invention consists in improvements in an electric lamp characterized `as above mentioned and in certain details of construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

My invention willV be best understood by reference to "the accompanying drawing -forming apart of this specication, and in which,

Figure l is a sectional side elevation of an electric lamp and socket to which is applied mechanism embodying the preferred form of my invention, Fig. 2 is a slightly enlarged transverse section taken on substantially line m-m of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation similar to Fig. l of an electric lamp and socket in which isarranged mecha'- msm embodying a slightly modified form of my invention, and Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken 'on` substantially line g/-y of Fig. 3.

` `Referring now to the drawing I have illus'- tratedan electric lamp and socket of conventional construction, the latter comprising a metallic casing l in the lower end of which is arranged the porcelain block or plug 2 within which is mounted the electric switch which is operableby the switch'button-3 in the usual manner. Arranged in the upper end of the casing 1 is the screw threaded metallic member 4 which is secured -rigidly to themember 2 and connected with the switch therein in the usual manner so that said member 4 constitutes' a terminal jfor engagement with the lamp. The second terminal ofthe socket is shown at 5 provided as usual centrally upon the uppervside of the member 2. ,The members 2 and 4 are shown insulated from the casing 1 as is ordinary by th'e insulation 6. j

The'lamp 7 is provided with the usual metallic screw threaded end 8 which is adapted for threading into the socket member 4, said member 8 constituting one of the terminals of the lamp for contact with the terminal 4 of the socket. The other terminal 9 of the lamp is provided centrally at the inner endvof the latter for contact under ordinary circumstances with the terminal 5 of thev socket.

The construction thus .far described is old and well known, no claim being here made thereto, the construction which forms the subject matter of this invention being vset frth in the following, such construction vbeing designed for use in conjunction with any electric lamp of conventional construction, it bein understood that no limitation 10 is made to Itsl use in conjunction with the lamp and socket construction shown in the drawing. i

Arranged upon the upper end of the socket member' 2 is a substantially U-shaped positioned for contact with the terminal 9 to complete the electrical connection between the socket and the lamp, the current passing as is known from the terminal 9 through the lamp filament thence through the terminal 8 of the lamp to the terminal 4 of the socket.

In the preferred form of my invention Va resilient spring member 1l is provided, one end thereof being secured as by soldering to the socket member 4, the latter being cut away as at l1 to permit of free movement of the free end of said member 11. The 'latter is arranged coplanar with the member l() and is adapted when the free end thereof is pressed inwardly to contact the member l0 in order to establish an electrical connection between the contacts 5 and 4 of the socket. Depression of the free end of the member 11 is effected through the medium of a button l2 which is slidably mounted in the adjacent side of the casing member l. With this construction when it is desired to close the circuit between the terminals of the lamp'socket it is only required to depress the button l2 until the free end of the member l1 contacts the member l0, said button being formed of a suitable non-conducting material such as fiber.

vWit-h the construction then as above set forth where a plurality of electric lamps are connected in series and where the filament of one of the lampsis broken as first ymentioned the defective lamp may be readily and expeditiously located by simply depressing the buttons l2 of the successive lamps until all of the lamps, with the exception of the defective one, light up as first described; the provision of the construction set forth in the lamp providing means whereby the passage of the electrical current through the lamp may be short oircuited in order to cut out the lamp proper.

In Figs. 3 and 4 wherein is illustrated the modified form of the invention the member l1 and button 12 are dispensed with and in lieu thereof the free end of the member 10 is provided with an extension 10 adapted when said free end of said member is de pressedy to contact the base portion of the socket member 4 and thus establish connection between the two socket terminals. Such depression of the free end of the member 10 is effected by simply turning the lamp 7 farther into its socket as is readily apparent from Fig. 3. The latter construction is designed for employment in conjunction with electric lamps where the sockets are not eX- posed such as in electric illuminated sign construction.

The construction as set forth is durable and economical and is adapted to effectually serve the 'purpose for which the same is designed.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred forms of construction for carrying my invention into effect, these are capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction as set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within ,the scope of the appended claim.

In a device of the character described,

the combination with an electric lamp socket; and an electric lamp, said socket having'two terminals adapted for contact with the terminals of said lamp to complete a circuit through said lamp; resilient means interposed between two of the coperating `terminals of said vsocket and lamp adapted 

